On the Hyperbolicity of Edge-Chordal and Path-Chordal Graphs

Abstract

If X is a geodesic metric space and $x_1,x_2,x_3\in X$, a {\it geodesic triangle} $T=\{x_1,x_2,x_3\}$ is the union of the three geodesics $[x_1x_2]$, $[x_2x_3]$ and $[x_3x_1]$ in $X$. The space $X$ is $\delta$-\emph{hyperbolic} $($in the Gromov sense$)$ if any side of $T$ is contained in a $\delta$-neighborhood of the union of the other two sides, for every geodesic triangle $T$ in $X$. An important problem in the study of hyperbolic graphs is to relate the hyperbolicity with some classical properties in graph theory. In this paper we find a very close connection between hyperbolicity and chordality: we extend the classical definition of chordality in two ways, edge-chordality and path-chordality, in order to relate this property with Gromov hyperbolicity. In fact, we prove that every edge-chordal graph is hyperbolic and that every hyperbolic graph is path-chordal. Furthermore, we prove that every path-chordal cubic graph with small path-chordality constant is hyperbolic.